Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of railing and fencing systems. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to modular railing/fencing systems comprising extruded aluminum railings with cellular polyvinyl chloride (PVC) panel inserts having an impact resistance of up to about 350 lb/ft2, which combined provide a system capable of withstanding significant external forces (FIG. 1).
Description of the Related Art
Existing commercially available railings and fencing systems are fabricated from a wide range of various materials and configurations, including wooden or plastic fences with posts, railings, and pickets, lattice-like (grid-like) panels; chain link fences; and wire fences (e.g., barbed wire or electric), to name a few. Typically, such materials and configurations require time consuming and labor intensive on-site construction.
To reduce installation time and labor costs, pre-formed panels of fence-forming materials have been provided. For example, a snow fence formed of fence panels composed of rectangular wood frames with plastic mesh material stretched with a tension of 950 pounds within the frame and between reinforcing steel bars has been disclosed. Such a fencing system, however, is not appropriate for most residential or commercial projects because of the cost, weight, and overall appearance of the materials used.
Also provided previously are fencing systems with vertical posts and a continuous, flexible, plastic barrier netting. Such fencing systems lack strength and versatility for different applications and do not meet high-end type expectations of the most discerning clients. Other known pre-formed panels are costly to manufacture or install, involve multi-step processes for constructing the panels within a frame, involve difficult frame joining processes, are aesthetically unacceptable, offer little flexibility or modularity, or are unable to withstand significant environmental and other external forces.
Others have experimented with combinations of materials to increase strength of the overall installed product and in particular in the context of plastic and vinyl fencing options. Plastic and vinyl fencing have become popular alternatives to traditional wood and steel fencing in that plastic and vinyl fencing is often less costly, easier to install, and often require less maintenance. Plastic and vinyl fencing typically include pre-fabricated post and rail components that are easily assembled. It has been realized, however, that plastic and vinyl fence posts, are not designed to support great amounts of weight, such as even that required for a traditional gate within the fencing system. To compensate for this inadequacy, consumers are therefore forced to select traditional materials, such as steel and wood, for portions of the fencing system that may require stronger materials. For example, some have provided steel or aluminum posts, railings, and pickets with an overlay/wrapping of a thin sheet of vinyl to take advantage of the strength of the metal and the maintenance-free benefit of the vinyl simultaneously. These combinations, however, are inadequate in that the vinyl encasement often moves back and forth on the metal (typically a consequence of the differing expansion/contraction rates of different materials) resulting in unfavorable squeaking sounds or safety concerns during use. Further, combining traditional materials with the plastic fence in this way provides an undesirable appearance and is contrary to the benefits provided by plastic and vinyl.
Indeed, modular railing systems that make use of aluminum rail and post components have been in use for a number of years. The advantages of these systems over traditional wood or steel railing systems are well known. Aluminum railings are relatively lightweight, inexpensive, do not rust, and can be painted in any desirable color. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,005, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, railing systems may comprise hollow (e.g., tubular) aluminum rails formed with channels to receive the upper and lower ends of pickets. A schematic representation of a picket-type railing with channels for receiving the pickets is shown in FIG. 2A.
Picket-type railing systems, however, typically require screws for attaching each picket to the bottom or top rail. FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram illustrating means by which typical prior art railing systems (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,472,482) are usually constructed. As shown, the screws securing the pickets to the bottom rail are inadequate in that over time, or by way of external vibrations imposed on the system, or by way of thermal changes in the materials when exposed to changing weather, the screws will become loose leading to a decrease in strength, safety, and/or security abilities of the system.
Likewise, it is known that glass panels in combination with pickets can also be inserted into the channels of this type of railing as is demonstrated for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,240, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and shown in FIG. 3A. One limitation of this glass panel and picket system, however, is that an additional support feature is needed to support the glass panel against potential external forces that are expected during use, as shown in FIG. 3B.
Guardrails with glass, wood, metal, or non-metal protective boards are also known, such as that provided in U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,320, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. Such guardrails are typically comprised of two parallel metal tubes with a protective wood board mounted in between. Even further, vertical panel glass walls of different configurations are also known. None of these fencing or railing systems disclosed in the art, however, purport to have sufficient strength to be capable of withstanding significant external forces exerted against the panels during use after installation of the products.
Thus, what previous attempts have failed to do and what is desperately needed are fencing/railing systems that are all-in-one economical, aesthetically pleasing, easy to install, virtually maintenance free, and capable of withstanding significant external forces during use.